The Chatter Box

The Chatter Box

By Deborah Bennett

I never knew the word “why” could be a noun, verb, adverb, adjective and pronoun until recently. My granddaughter, Jaylee, 3, has a very extensive vocabulary for a 3-year-old, but “why” seems to begin or end every sentence she says lately!

Exasperated one day recently, I told her, “I am so tired of hearing you say ‘why’!” Of course, she responded, “Why?” to which I responded, “Jaylee, why is your shirt red? Why are your shoes white? Why are we riding in the car? Why is that truck ahead of us? Why are you smiling? Why do you take a bath? Why does Tank eat dog food?”

She thought a minute, then grinned and said, “Why are you being so silly? Why are you asking me all of those questions? Why are you laughing? Why don’t you like ‘why’?”

In a similar way, my grandson, Ty, 3, ends or begins all of his sentences with “Nana.” It is as though he wants to make sure I am listening to him, so he adds my name to everything he says..

“Nana, I want to go outside. I want to play in the dirt, Nana. Nana, I don’t want to take a nap. Pa, is outside, Nana. Can I go outside with Pa, Nana? Nana, I want something to drink.”

I told him recently I was going to change my name. He just looked at me and asked, “Why?”